


in case you don't live forever

by spicyperalta



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Car Accidents, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Major Character Injury, Panic, again I'm sorry, did i cry writing this?, everything is fine, guys i'm so sorry for this one, probably not unless you're a weenie like me, this was inspired by ben platt, will you cry?, yes a little
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:48:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22883563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicyperalta/pseuds/spicyperalta
Summary: they were supposed to be working a case together when jake and a heavily pregnant amy get into a car accident. inspired and loosely based on 'in case you don't live forever' by ben platt.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 7
Kudos: 64





	in case you don't live forever

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Everything had been planned to perfection with minimal room, but here they were. The hospital atmosphere caused goosebumps on his arms; the sterile air reminded him of the predicament. Amy, heavily pregnant Amy who refused to let her unborn child pull her away from work, had been involved in a car crash this morning.

Jake was of course in the car. He did not let his wife go off alone at 8 months pregnant. Not even to what they thought was a safe meeting with one of her snitches. Details were still blurry on the whole ordeal, but he had a superficial injury, she had hit her head hard making her go unconscious.

That was 10 minutes ago. When he had to feel her pulse as he called 911 in case bystanders had not. When he brushed a strand of hair away from her face, crying and hyperventilating. Everything moved extremely fast and he’d manage to make his wife stay awake until the last second.

He remembers that well.

“Amy. Amy, please baby, stay with me. PLEASE. NO”, and then the sound of sirens covered up his sobs, blood, and tears running down his face.

This was not supposed to happen.

-

Amy had a bandage around her head from where she had hit her head on the wheel before the airbags went off. There were two heart monitors, one for her and one wrapped around her belly for the baby. She looked peaceful despite her bruises and cuts.

The doctor had her in and out of her room during the first 30 minutes trying to figure out if the injuries sustained were severe. They had yet to tell him the results or allowed him inside. He was being treated for his minor injury where the glass had cut his cheek and brow. Flashbacks from hours before flooded his head making him angry as he could somehow have prevented this. The countless scenarios led to one thing: This was Amy Santiago. No force on Earth could stop her from being the hardest working sergeant in the entire force.

Jake was put in the room next to her and could hear the loud voices of her nurses:

“GET HER OXYGEN. NOW.”

“CHECK ON THE BABY. MRS. SANTIAGO, WE NEED YOU TO SLOW YOUR BREATHS LIKE THIS.”

The nurse with him winced at the screams. She noted his visible panic and dared to ask the question, “That’s your wife next door isn’t it?”

All he could do is nod and look at the silver band on his left hand.

“God is with her. I can’t promise anything, I can only reassure you of the power of humans and their resiliency. Don’t you worry baby, she’s in great hands.”

-

He was discharged about half an hour after her tests were done. Now he sat in the chairs outside of her room. He was not allowed in even after he was cleared, and it worried the fuck out of him. He was her husband for crying out loud, that was his daughter. Thankfully, Rosa arrived her expression not deadpan but full of worry.

“How is she? What have they told you?”

He stood up and hugged his friend quickly. “It could range from a concussion to plain blunt force trauma,” he paused to lick his lips, “She’s been tested on since we got here, they won’t even let me in.”

Rosa didn’t cry, well, not often. Still, she struggled to speak, “The baby?”

“I don’t know.”

She had never seen Jake cry. Today was a day of firsts.

As if he knew the man was at his breaking point, a doctor emerged from Amy’s room. His face did not give him the least bit of hope. Only 45 minutes had passed since they’d arrived.

Traumatic Brain Injury, also known as TBI.

The force of her head hitting the steering wheel, and the velocity of the vehicle that hit her side of the car, caused her to be awake for a second to protect her belly and the pass out. MRIs and other exams confirmed that there were no contusions or internal bleeding.

She could have died. The doctor’s words took the wind out of him. The baby- he stopped listening after that. Everything became too heavy to bear thinking of what could have been.

“She woke up after 30 minutes while you were being treated, but we have since given her meds for her pain. Mrs. Santiago will be fine, but we still have to have a conversation about the baby.”

“I’m sorry this is a lot at once, what’s happening?” Oh no. No, God, no.

“We are monitoring the baby and we are still not out of the water. In an hour we possibly could have to do an emergency C-section. She went into preterm labor during the crash.”

“She’s barely eight months, is that even safe? What would warrant that?” Rosa spoke for him as his shock seeped in. He was glad to have someone in a clear state of mind around.

“The accident caused stress to the baby and some vaginal bleeding is occurring. The crash was most likely induced early labor and we can either stop it or let it run its’ course. Stopping it comes with risks, not for your wife but the child.”

“What do you suggest we do?” How he found the strength to ask the question or be present at the moment without passing out he didn’t know.

“The baby is losing oxygen steadily; I suggest we give the child a fighting chance outside the womb.”

“Okay, okay”, he took a deep breath, “Are there any risks with the C-section?”

“Not with the procedure, but after things could complicate.”

-

Amy had been hooked to oxygen and was being prepped for surgery. She too had agreed to go through a C-section. Her hair was now in one of those hospital bonnets. The medication made her feel at ease despite the chaos around her. In 10 minutes, their baby would be born and sent to the NICU.

Her husband sat in a stool next to her bed, his large hands wrapped around her own. Rosa had stayed after they’d been let in an hour prior but had to leave to take care of things at the precinct. Even when she was disoriented from she knew when her husband was worried. His brow furrowed, he didn’t make eye contact and his breathing was shallow.

“Amor”, she calls out to him in Spanish. It translates to my love. It was a word that always caught his attention. It was beautiful how one word held so much power over him, but today not even that could break him from his thoughts.

“Hmm”, Jake says focusing his gaze on the ground.

“What are you thinking about?” She tried to move as she asked the question but was met with immense pain.

His eyes shot up in fear as he heard her wince, “Oh god, please don’t move around. You okay?”

“I’m fine. We’ll both be okay. Really, what’s on your mind?” He looked at her and shook his head smiling but the squeeze at his hand encouraging him broke him down. She was the only person who could break his walls down.

Jake kissed her hand, tears pricking in his eyes, “I was so scared, Amy. I don’t think I’ve ever been that scared in my life. I almost lost both of you.” He sniffled and looked at her taking in her face and taking note of the bruises. “I love you, and I’m gonna tell you until you get tired of hearing it. I love you and I love her,” he removes a hand from her own and presses it to her belly.

The baby kicks sending her over the edge. Tears are free falling, adoration in her eyes.

“In case you don’t live forever,”

“I’m not Jake- “, She stops and braces for the contraction that had started seconds before. He lets her squeeze his hand for the remainder of the contraction and then continues.

“You already made me the father and husband of my dreams. It’s all you. Everything I am you have credit for. You can put it on your resume right under the future youngest captain of the NYPD. I fucking love you, Amelia Santiago.”

She barely makes it out through her tears, “I love you more.”

“Impossible.”

He leans in to kiss her being careful not to press his forehead to hers. The same doctor they spoke to earlier clears his throat and it’s time. Jake follows her rolling bed out of the room into the operating room. The worst day in the history of their lives is suddenly joyful as their tiny little girl finally cries after seconds of panic. She’s slimy, bloody, she’s perfect. She’s five weeks early and a measly 6 pounds, 18 inches long.

Amy kisses her head as she is placed on her chest, he holds her as if she’s made of glass. Her husband follows her lead after a moment and kisses his daughter’s head before she’s whisked away to be cleaned, tested, among other routine checks.

An hour later, Amy is recovering, the baby did not need to go to the NICU despite the scare inside the womb. Jake holds Luna, as the Harry Potter nerds decided to name her, and he is whispering to her. He had never thought of mortality this much before today, but a traumatic accident and becoming a father in the same day could certainly throw a man for a loop.

He whispered, “In case you don’t live forever, let me tell you that you’re the most wonderful thing to come out of such a chaotic and traumatic day. I love you, mi amor.”

**Author's Note:**

> please leave kudos and tell me how messed up i am for writing this in the comments. it really did hurt to write.
> 
> you can find me on twitter as @spicyperalta
> 
> \- moni


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